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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: mouse · fine · chair · last · track · key · drill · pit

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. track — a song
  3. key — the most important part
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pit — a hole
  6. last — final
  7. track — a path
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fine — all right
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. track — to keep track
  16. last — finally
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. last — to go on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fine — high quality

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