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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. key — for a lock
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. board — to get on
  10. stock — goods
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ball — a dance
  16. march — the month
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pass — a permit
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. march — music
  22. cell — in biology
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to succeed

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