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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: firm · deal · track · mug · pitcher · key · march · kid

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. deal — to handle
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — in music
  7. march — the month
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. key — for a lock
  11. firm — decided
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. march — music
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. kid — to tease
  19. track — a song
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. track — a path
  24. kid — child

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