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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 124 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. key — in music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. file — a tool
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — for a lock
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. face — to confront
  22. file — a document
  23. mate — a friend
  24. key — the most important part

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