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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. tear — from crying
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. court — of law
  14. key — for a lock
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. key — in music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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