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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. object — to protest
  5. craft — a skill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. squash — the sport
  12. present — there
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. object — an aim
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — wild animals
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. key — for a lock
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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