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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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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. key — in music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fork — in a road
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cue — for pool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. scale — in music
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cold — an illness
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fine — all right
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cold — not warm

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