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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. snap — to click
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. key — in music
  15. field — farmland
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rule — government
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stand — to bear
  21. field — a subject
  22. rock — music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. field — for sport

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