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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. game — wild animals
  3. staff — a stick
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. key — in music
  6. staff — employees
  7. mug — a cup
  8. swing — to play on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. shower — to wash
  11. game — a match
  12. mug — to rob
  13. swing — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cell — in biology
  16. swing — in golf
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mug — a face
  20. shower — rain
  21. staff — employees
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. racket — for tennis
  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