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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. track — a path
  15. object — an aim
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. object — a thing
  20. track — to keep track
  21. key — in music
  22. object — to protest
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com