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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · key · fork · bear · spell · cabinet · kick · cue

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. key — in music
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fork — in a road
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — in football
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. key — the most important part

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