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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cue — a hint
  10. key — in music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rash — a series

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