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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. suit — in cards
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. perch — the fish
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. track — a path
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — clothes
  13. race — the arms race
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — to be able to
  17. race — humankind
  18. drill — a practice
  19. track — a song
  20. key — in music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. can — a tin

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