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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. key — for a lock
  13. game — wild animals
  14. swing — in golf
  15. track — a path
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. branch — a division
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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