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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. content — happy
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. key — in music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. last — final
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — a series
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stand — to bear
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — the most important part
  20. last — finally
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — to crush
  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