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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chest — a box
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitch — completely
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bass — the fish
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chest — of your body
  22. roll — a list
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bass — low music

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