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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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468
Word bank
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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fork — in a road
  11. season — in sport
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. key — in music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. season — of the year
  24. key — for a lock

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