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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · firm · bass · nail · toast · key · field · ruler

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. field — for sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. drill — army training
  5. firm — decided
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. drill — a practice
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — farmland
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. firm — a company
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bass — the fish
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. toast — bread
  22. bass — low music
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. field — a subject

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