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

Word bank: key · pitcher · stick · file · object · snap · roll · bay

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. object — an aim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. roll — a cake
  9. key — the most important part
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. object — a thing
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — to protest
  17. key — in music
  18. roll — a list
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. key — for a lock
  24. roll — on a roll

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