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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. key — the most important part
  3. race — a contest
  4. charge — in control
  5. spell — letters
  6. pit — in a race
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pit — a hole
  12. key — for a lock
  13. club — for golf
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. club — a group
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. key — in music
  19. race — humankind
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. race — the arms race
  24. charge — a price

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