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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. scale — size or range
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pop — to visit
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. can — a tin
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pop — music
  14. key — in music
  15. lean — thin
  16. kick — in football
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pop — soda
  22. scale — in music
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — to bend

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