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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. track — a path
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bat — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. track — a song
  10. bass — the fish
  11. key — the most important part
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cue — for pool
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bass — low music
  23. key — in music
  24. firm — a company

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