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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. row — a line
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pop — to visit
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — rain
  13. pop — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — an aim
  16. pop — soda
  17. shower — to wash
  18. object — to protest
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — to paddle
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. object — a thing
  24. key — for a lock

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