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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mark — a trace
  8. toast — bread
  9. drill — army training
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. drill — a practice
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. clip — a video
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mark — to pay attention

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