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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — a trail
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — of ice
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cap — a lid
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cap — a hat
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. clip — a video
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. clip — to cut
  19. toast — bread
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. clip — for paper

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