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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · land · rash · pit · stick · game · wake · ruler

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — a trail
  4. land — to come down
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. game — wild animals
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. land — ground
  11. rash — a series
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. land — a country
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — in music
  21. game — a match
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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