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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rock — a stone
  4. key — for a lock
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. capital — a city
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bound — certain
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. key — the most important part
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. row — a line
  15. capital — money
  16. rock — music
  17. key — in music
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. deal — to handle

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