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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: roll · firm · ball · wind · mark · rash · key · field

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — the most important part
  5. field — for sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. roll — a list
  8. field — a subject
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. key — in music
  14. firm — decided
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. field — farmland
  17. firm — a company
  18. ball — a great time
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rash — a series
  21. firm — steady
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rash — hasty

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