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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tube — a container
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — size or range
  7. tube — the underground
  8. track — a song
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. track — a path
  12. key — for a lock
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — letters
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — in music
  20. spell — magic
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. scale — 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