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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. key — in music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. row — to paddle
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. hand — help
  8. band — a music group
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — the most important part
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. row — a line
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. band — a ring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. key — for a lock
  23. drill — the tool
  24. row — a quarrel

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