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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. key — in music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. scale — size or range
  12. content — the amount
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. rash — a series
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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