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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spell — magic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cell — a phone
  13. dip — to sink
  14. firm — decided
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rule — government
  23. spell — letters
  24. rule — a law

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