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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. scale — size or range
  3. drill — a practice
  4. content — the amount
  5. firm — decided
  6. ground — crushed
  7. key — in music
  8. firm — steady
  9. scale — in music
  10. ground — a position
  11. drill — army training
  12. content — happy
  13. ground — the earth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pass — a permit
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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