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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. deal — to handle
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. key — for a lock
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. mark — a grade
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a music group
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. current — happening now
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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