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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · pass · key · deal · racket · foot · pop · mouse

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. last — finally
  4. pass — a permit
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. last — to go on
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. key — in music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pass — to spend 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