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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. club — a group
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spell — a short time
  6. content — the amount
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cue — a signal
  10. face — to confront
  11. cue — for pool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spell — magic
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. content — happy
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. club — for golf
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cue — a hint
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spell — letters
  24. key — for a lock

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