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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · last · key · rule · deal · straw · squash · date

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. squash — the sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. date — the fruit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. last — final
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — for a lock
  12. squash — to crush
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. last — finally
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rule — government
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rule — a law
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. last — to go on
  24. key — in music

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