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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pop — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pop — soda
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pop — to visit

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