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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. scale — in music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ground — crushed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — size or range
  16. firm — a company
  17. key — in music
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ground — the earth
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — hurry
  24. firm — steady

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