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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bass — the fish
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bass — low music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — to visit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. key — the most important part
  24. drill — army training

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