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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. club — a group
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. track — a path
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. firm — a company
  13. rock — a stone
  14. club — for golf
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. track — a song
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fine — all right
  21. firm — steady
  22. club — for dancing
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fine — high quality

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