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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. key — in music
  8. roll — a list
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — the most important part
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — a hole
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. band — a ring
  19. scale — in music
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. roll — a cake
  23. scale — size or range
  24. club — for golf

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