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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
468
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 · race · drill · suit · cabinet · bass · pound · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. suit — in cards
  4. key — in music
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. race — humankind
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — army training
  12. land — a country
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. land — to come down
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pound — a weight
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. drill — the tool
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — low music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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