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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. key — for a lock
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pop — music
  5. roll — a list
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. key — the most important part
  9. drill — the tool
  10. key — in music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pop — soda
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mate — a friend
  18. drill — army training
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pop — to visit

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