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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. roll — a cake
  4. key — in music
  5. race — a contest
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — for sport
  8. race — humankind
  9. staff — a stick
  10. court — of a king
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. court — of law
  13. branch — a division
  14. fine — high quality
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitch — completely
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — a list
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. race — the arms race
  24. key — for a lock

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