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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — a list
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. kick — in football
  8. march — music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. club — a group
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — high quality
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. key — in music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. club — for golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — the most important part
  23. roll — a cake
  24. racket — a loud noise

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