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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. row — to paddle
  3. march — the month
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. march — the month
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. row — a line
  22. pit — in a race
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. key — in 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