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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. key — the most important part
  7. swing — to play on
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. file — a document
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. saw — the tool

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