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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — in sport
  8. track — a path
  9. net — after costs
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — the fish
  18. key — in music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bass — low music
  22. net — for catching
  23. dip — to sink
  24. track — a song

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