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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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Word bank
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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — a coil
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. key — for a lock
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spring — of water
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — in music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spring — the season
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bass — low music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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