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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — magic
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bound — certain
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. spell — letters
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rule — government
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rule — a law
  21. cap — a hat
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. key — in music

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