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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a song
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rule — government
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. roll — a cake
  8. track — a path
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lie — to recline
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. key — in music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. roll — a list

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