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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pound — a weight
  5. object — an aim
  6. key — for a lock
  7. last — to go on
  8. key — the most important part
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — completely
  11. key — in music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. object — to protest
  18. staff — employees
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ball — a dance
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a round shape

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