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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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. cold — the Cold War
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. net — after costs
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cold — not warm
  18. rash — a series
  19. cold — an illness
  20. net — in sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. dip — to dunk

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