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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: deal · racket · pit · key · last · rush · pitcher · ball

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pit — a hole
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — in music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. last — finally
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — the most important part
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rush — hurry
  22. last — final
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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