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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pop — to visit
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pop — soda
  10. cap — a hat
  11. object — a thing
  12. cap — of ice
  13. key — in music
  14. object — an aim
  15. key — the most important part
  16. shower — rain
  17. object — to protest
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pop — music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — hurry

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