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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. date — the fruit
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. key — in music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. key — for a lock
  10. board — a committee
  11. dip — to sink
  12. race — humankind
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. race — a contest
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. board — to get on
  17. foot — a measure
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. race — the arms race

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