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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 120 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mark — a grade
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. suit — to fit
  9. march — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. track — a song
  12. fall — the season
  13. track — to keep track
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — a trace
  21. key — in music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fall — to drop

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