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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. object — to protest
  4. bound — tied together
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. object — an aim
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bound — certain
  12. ball — a great time
  13. key — for a lock
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — a signal
  17. land — to come down
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — in music
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — ground

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