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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · roll · key · fan · deal · kick · march · stick

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — for digging
  4. march — the month
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. roll — a list
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — to handle
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kick — in football
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — music
  24. key — in music

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