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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. key — the most important part
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a signal
  9. race — a contest
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a tool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. file — a document
  18. race — humankind
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cue — a hint
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. key — for a lock
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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