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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
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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: last · rule · bay · roll · fine · key · squash · row

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — the most important part
  5. last — to go on
  6. key — in music
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fine — all right
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. squash — the sport
  11. last — final
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rule — a law
  14. row — a line
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. key — for a lock
  21. last — finally
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — a penalty

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