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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. cold — an illness
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. key — in music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kick — in football
  8. mark — a trace
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. club — a group
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. club — for dancing
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. key — the most important part
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cold — not warm
  20. club — for golf
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. snap — to click
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mark — a grade

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