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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — to paddle
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — in music
  7. drill — army training
  8. last — final
  9. game — a match
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. key — the most important part
  23. drill — a practice
  24. row — a line

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