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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: charge · foot · firm · deal · staff · track · key · bass

  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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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. bass — the fish
  4. track — a song
  5. charge — electricity
  6. track — to keep track
  7. foot — a measure
  8. firm — a company
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bass — low music
  12. firm — decided
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a path
  17. staff — a stick
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. deal — to handle
  20. staff — employees
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. firm — steady
  23. key — in music
  24. staff — employees

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