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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pit — a hole
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — a cup
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mug — a face
  15. clip — a video
  16. bass — low music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mug — to rob
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stem — to come from
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — of a plant

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