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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a dance
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. last — to go on
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. drill — army training
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fine — all right
  17. key — in music
  18. firm — decided
  19. last — finally
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ball — a great time
  22. key — for a lock
  23. last — final
  24. key — the most important part

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