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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. file — a document
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — to get on
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. key — in music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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