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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ground — a position
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — to crush
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. track — a path
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. track — a song
  14. ground — crushed
  15. squash — the sport
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. march — the month
  19. key — the most important part
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — music
  24. hide — animal skin

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