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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. key — for a lock
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitch — completely
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. key — in music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mine — for digging
  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