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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. net — after costs
  4. key — the most important part
  5. face — to confront
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — size or range
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. key — for a lock
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — in sport
  24. staff — a stick

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