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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fall — to drop
  7. scale — in music
  8. drill — army training
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — the season
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mug — a cup
  15. key — in music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — a face
  23. bear — the animal
  24. jam — in traffic

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