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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. march — the month
  5. track — a path
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rush — hurry
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. present — a gift
  10. snap — to click
  11. present — the time now
  12. march — music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. present — there
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. key — in music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a song
  24. ruler — a monarch

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