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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. land — to come down
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rest — a break
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ball — a great time
  10. key — for a lock
  11. object — to protest
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. board — to get on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. board — a committee
  16. land — ground
  17. key — the most important part
  18. land — a country

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