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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stand — to bear
  13. swing — to play on
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kid — child
  21. game — a match
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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