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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — in music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rock — music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spring — the season
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hand — help
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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