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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. key — for a lock
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — a path
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a song
  13. can — a tin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pop — soda
  19. key — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. can — to be able to
  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