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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. key — in music
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. field — farmland
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wax — to grow
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. field — for sport
  19. pass — a permit
  20. craft — boats
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — a stone

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