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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fork — in a road
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spring — of water
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — in music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ball — a dance
  14. key — in music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spring — the season
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mine — belonging to me

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