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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. net — in sport
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. track — a song
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. track — a path
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. dip — to sink
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. track — to keep track

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