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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — for a lock
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pop — music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. key — in music
  8. craft — boats
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — a group
  12. track — a song
  13. pop — to visit
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pop — soda
  16. track — a path
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. club — for golf
  21. bear — the animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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