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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bat — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — to keep track
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a path
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — a song
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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