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

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. key — in music
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. key — the most important part
  13. track — a song
  14. key — for a lock
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rash — a series
  18. kid — to tease
  19. track — a path
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. bass — the instrument

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