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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. march — the month
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. march — the month
  5. current — of water
  6. march — music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. key — in music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — electric
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. current — happening now

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