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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rash — a series
  5. key — for a lock
  6. scale — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. snap — to click
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — size or range
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. key — in music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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