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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. toast — bread
  5. firm — a company
  6. bass — the fish
  7. file — a document
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. key — in music
  11. last — finally
  12. key — for a lock
  13. file — a line of people
  14. firm — steady
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. last — final
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — decided
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bass — low 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