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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. craft — a skill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — a committee
  6. kick — in football
  7. hand — in cards
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — boats
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rule — a law
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — to get on
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. rule — government
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hand — help
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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