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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — in music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ground — a position
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — a path
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — the earth
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — the most important part
  24. straw — a straw man

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