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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. court — for sport
  4. rule — a law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rule — government
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. court — of a king
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. court — of law
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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