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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — to visit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. drill — the tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pop — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. squash — to crush
  12. key — in music
  13. club — a group
  14. drill — army training
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — from a university
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. degree — an amount
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. object — a thing
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pop — soda

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