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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: stick · pound · ball · bay · mug · rule · key · tear

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rule — government
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rule — a law
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. key — in music
  24. tear — from crying

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