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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. row — a line
  3. net — for catching
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fork — in a road
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. net — after costs
  9. track — a song
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bass — low music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. key — in music
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — a path

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