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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. saw — the tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. key — in music
  7. game — a match
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. object — to protest
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. object — a thing
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bass — low music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. game — wild animals
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wind — moving air
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. key — the most important part

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