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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cue — for pool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cue — a hint
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rule — government
  10. cue — a signal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. board — a committee
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ground — the earth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rule — a law
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. key — in music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. board — to get on
  23. ground — a position
  24. drill — the tool

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