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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chest — a box
  6. suit — clothes
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. suit — to fit
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. court — of a king
  14. key — in music
  15. court — of law
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chest — of your body
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chest — of your body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. season — of the year
  23. court — for sport
  24. pitch — a sports field

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