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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — in sport
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a dance
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. key — the most important part
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. scale — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. season — of the year
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bear — the animal
  23. scale — size or range
  24. foot — a measure

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