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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — in control
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ball — a dance
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — a country
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — soda
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — a price
  16. key — in music
  17. land — to come down
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. land — ground
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pop — to visit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ball — a great time
  24. charge — electricity

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