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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. staff — employees
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ground — a position
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rest — a break
  9. key — in music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. board — a committee
  12. cue — for pool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cue — a signal
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ground — crushed
  21. board — to get on
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rest — what's left
  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