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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — size or range
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. court — of law
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stand — to bear
  9. content — the amount
  10. march — the month
  11. court — of a king
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wake — a trail
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. court — for sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. content — happy
  24. scale — 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