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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kid — to tease
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stand — to bear
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a friend
  12. key — in music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. key — the most important part
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mate — a partner
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. suit — in cards
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. kid — child
  24. court — of a king

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