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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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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: game · rock · pit · scale · straw · key · kick · roll

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. key — in music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. game — wild animals
  8. roll — a cake
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. roll — a list
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. scale — in music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rock — music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rock — to move gently

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