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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mate — a partner
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mate — a friend
  10. track — a song
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — a grade
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. row — a line
  17. key — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mug — a face
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mate — to breed
  22. track — a path
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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