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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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 — in music
  2. can — a tin
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. can — to be able to
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cold — an illness
  15. ball — a dance
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. toast — bread
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. coach — a trainer
  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