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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. net — for catching
  7. swing — in golf
  8. key — the most important part
  9. land — to come down
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. net — after costs
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — in sport
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. swing — music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. key — in music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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