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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a trace
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rock — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. key — for a lock
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rock — a stone
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. key — the most important part
  23. clip — to cut
  24. nail — for a hammer

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