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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — a song
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. key — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. rock — music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — a jug

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