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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. club — a group
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ball — a great time
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wind — moving air
  13. drill — army training
  14. ground — a position
  15. suit — to fit
  16. club — for golf
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. key — for a lock
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ground — the earth

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