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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — army training
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. drill — a practice
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. scale — in music
  14. key — in music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chip — for betting
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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