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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: ruler · jam · key · can · kid · fork · wind · clip

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. can — a tin
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fork — in a road
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. clip — a video
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. key — in music
  22. kid — to tease
  23. key — for a lock
  24. kid — child

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