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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. rash — hasty
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. scale — in music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bore — to drill
  11. last — final
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. key — for a lock
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bore — to tire
  18. last — finally
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rash — a series
  24. date — the fruit

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