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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mark — a grade
  7. key — in music
  8. mug — a face
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mug — a cup
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mark — a trace
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bark — to shout
  24. staff — employees

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