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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rest — a break
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. row — a line
  9. present — the time now
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — to paddle
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ball — a great time
  14. present — there
  15. ball — a dance
  16. key — in music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — a trace
  20. present — a gift
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. squash — to crush
  24. file — a document

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