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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — the most important part
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — boats
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. key — in music
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cue — a hint
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rest — a break
  20. row — a line
  21. craft — a skill
  22. scale — size or range
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cue — a signal

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