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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. file — a document
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. file — a tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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