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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's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. field — a subject
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rule — government
  20. key — in music
  21. field — for sport
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. field — farmland
  24. key — the most important part

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