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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spell — a short time
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. key — in music
  8. track — a path
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. object — to protest
  17. key — for a lock
  18. snap — to click
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. object — an aim
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — to keep track
  23. object — a thing
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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