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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — soda
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pop — music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rule — a law
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rule — government
  20. pit — a hole
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. branch — a division

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