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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. pop — music
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. object — an aim
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pop — soda
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rash — hasty
  16. object — to protest
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rash — a series
  19. net — in sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. object — a thing
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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