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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. craft — boats
  5. track — a song
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — a path
  16. content — the amount
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — to keep track
  20. content — happy
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lean — thin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — in music

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