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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. object — to protest
  4. face — to point toward
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cell — a phone
  11. object — a thing
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. object — an aim
  14. hand — help
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cell — in biology
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hand — in cards
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. face — to confront

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