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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. suit — to fit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. key — the most important part
  20. craft — boats
  21. suit — clothes
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pitcher — a jug

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