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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. land — ground
  3. key — the most important part
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. land — a country
  7. pop — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. court — of law
  12. pop — soda
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. court — of a king
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — for sport
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pop — to visit
  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