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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitch — completely
  5. spell — magic
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rush — hurry
  8. current — of water
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — happening now
  11. squash — the sport
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. current — electric
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spell — letters
  22. squash — to crush
  23. object — to protest
  24. key — in music

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