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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rock — music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — in music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fine — all right
  15. board — a committee
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bat — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. board — to get on
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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