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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. present — a gift
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pop — music
  10. spring — the season
  11. key — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rash — a series
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pop — to visit
  20. present — there
  21. pop — soda
  22. spring — a coil
  23. present — the time now
  24. key — the most important part

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