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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 120 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: mouse · key · mine · pop · row · firm · drill · clip

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. row — to paddle
  4. clip — a video
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. key — in music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. drill — army training
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pop — soda
  12. key — the most important part
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. firm — steady
  18. clip — to cut
  19. firm — decided
  20. row — a line
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pop — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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