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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. drill — army training
  2. key — the most important part
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a path
  5. firm — decided
  6. drill — the tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. deal — to handle
  10. net — in sport
  11. drill — a practice
  12. key — in music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. net — for catching
  15. degree — an amount
  16. firm — steady
  17. track — to keep track
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. net — after costs
  20. track — a song
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — for a lock
  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