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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mug — a cup
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. mug — a face
  11. rule — government
  12. club — for dancing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. swing — in golf
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. club — a group
  21. swing — music
  22. rule — a law
  23. club — for golf
  24. staff — a stick

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