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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fall — the season
  9. bank — for money
  10. drill — army training
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bass — low music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. dip — to sink
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. key — in music
  24. drill — the tool

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