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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 120 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fine — high quality
  8. track — a path
  9. pit — in a race
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cap — a hat
  12. track — a song
  13. key — in music
  14. row — a line
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. track — to keep track
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. key — for a lock
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — to trim

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