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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. capital — a city
  13. roll — a cake
  14. board — a committee
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — a list
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. key — for a lock
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. squash — to crush
  22. key — the most important part
  23. capital — money
  24. board — to get on

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