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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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 — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. key — the most important part
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. key — for a lock
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. march — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — a supporter
  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