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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: rule · ball · key · cue · straw · bound · march · bear

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. key — the most important part
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cue — for pool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. march — the month
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rule — government
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rule — a law
  18. key — for a lock
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — certain
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cue — a hint
  24. march — 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