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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spring — of water
  3. firm — a company
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. key — for a lock
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. club — a group
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spring — a coil
  10. kick — in football
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. firm — decided
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. track — a song
  15. key — in music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spring — the season
  19. club — for golf
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. track — a path
  22. firm — steady
  23. pass — a permit
  24. deal — to handle

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