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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — completely
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rest — a break
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ground — a position
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — obliged
  19. shower — rain
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bound — certain
  24. rest — what's left

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