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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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. track — a path
  6. key — in music
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. saw — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — a skill
  16. club — for dancing
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. key — the most important part

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