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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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fine — all right
  5. can — to be able to
  6. land — ground
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. key — the most important part
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — high quality
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. key — in music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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