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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. swing — music
  17. march — music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. content — happy
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bound — certain

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