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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — magic
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bore — to tire
  10. spell — letters
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — a country
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — in music
  18. land — ground
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. land — to come down
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. racket — for tennis

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