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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cap — a lid
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitch — completely
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cap — of ice
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. key — in music
  12. season — in sport
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — of the year
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cap — a hat
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. key — for a lock
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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