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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: key · drill · mouse · ball · band · ground · pass · jam

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. band — a ring
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. drill — the tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ground — a position
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pass — a permit
  19. key — for a lock
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. key — in music

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