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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ball — a dance
  5. key — for a lock
  6. plane — a tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. drill — the tool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. toast — bread
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. drill — a practice
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pit — in a race
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. drill — army training
  21. pit — a hole
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ball — a great time

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