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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 · rush · foot · bowl · bass · key · ground · track

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rush — hurry
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. track — a song
  9. ground — crushed
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a path
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bass — low music
  15. ground — a position
  16. firm — decided
  17. foot — a measure
  18. track — to keep track
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. key — in music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — a company
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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