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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. content — the amount
  5. march — the month
  6. content — happy
  7. march — the month
  8. sharp — clever
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. staff — a stick
  11. deal — to handle
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cap — a lid
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cap — a hat
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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