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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: key · drill · content · bass · band · toast · foot · stock

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. drill — army training
  5. toast — bread
  6. content — happy
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. band — a ring
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — in music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stock — goods
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — low music
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. band — a music group
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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