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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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — a country
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. craft — boats
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. land — to come down
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. land — ground
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. craft — a skill
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. deal — to handle

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