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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. firm — decided
  3. band — a music group
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. drill — a practice
  6. band — a ring
  7. last — to go on
  8. pop — music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. last — final
  11. firm — steady
  12. key — in music
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pop — to visit
  16. drill — the tool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — soda
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. firm — a company
  24. drill — army training

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