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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. track — to keep track
  4. root — the cause
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. key — the most important part
  8. snap — to click
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ground — a position
  11. rest — a break
  12. key — for a lock
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. root — of a word
  18. track — a song
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ground — the earth
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. track — a path
  24. ground — crushed

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