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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. key — for a lock
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. track — a path
  5. key — in music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. date — the fruit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. key — the most important part
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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