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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fork — in a road
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stem — to come from
  9. key — the most important part
  10. court — of law
  11. key — in music
  12. court — of a king
  13. game — a match
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. march — 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