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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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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. march — the month
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. track — to keep track
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lean — to bend
  9. key — for a lock
  10. track — a song
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. board — a committee
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — completely
  20. key — in music
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — a path
  23. content — happy
  24. march — 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