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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. field — a subject
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. roll — a cake
  6. firm — steady
  7. last — finally
  8. field — for sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — the fish
  12. roll — a list
  13. firm — a company
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — for a lock
  16. field — farmland
  17. firm — decided
  18. last — to go on
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bass — low music
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. last — final

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