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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. net — after costs
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. net — in sport
  8. track — a path
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — help
  18. track — a song
  19. key — in music
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — for catching
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hand — part of the body

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