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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. key — the most important part
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bat — for baseball

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