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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bass — the fish
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. land — to come down
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cold — not warm
  12. land — a country
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bear — the animal
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bass — low music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. land — ground
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ball — a round shape

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