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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. march — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mate — a partner
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. mate — a friend
  12. last — finally
  13. mate — to breed
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. march — the month
  17. key — in music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. last — to go on
  20. scale — in music
  21. last — final
  22. mark — a grade
  23. key — the most important part
  24. straw — a straw man

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