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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. game — wild animals
  3. object — a thing
  4. fine — high quality
  5. object — to protest
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. object — an aim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pass — a permit
  12. board — a committee
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fine — all right
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — to get on
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. game — a match
  23. saw — the tool
  24. key — in music

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