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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pop — to visit
  3. key — for a lock
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. suit — clothes
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. key — the most important part
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — a committee
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. row — to paddle
  20. key — in music
  21. pop — soda
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pop — music
  24. straw — a straw man

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