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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. key — in music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — of the year
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cue — a hint
  9. court — of a king
  10. firm — decided
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. cue — for pool
  14. firm — steady
  15. cue — a signal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. court — of law
  18. band — a music group
  19. court — for sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. band — a ring
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. firm — a company

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