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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. object — an aim
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. key — in music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. key — for a lock
  20. squash — the sport
  21. object — a thing
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pit — a hole
  24. object — to protest

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