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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 124 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. firm — a company
  3. key — in music
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bass — low music
  10. cell — a phone
  11. hand — help
  12. firm — steady
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hand — in cards
  20. branch — a division
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. firm — decided

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