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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. march — music
  4. key — in music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fine — high quality
  7. march — the month
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pit — a hole
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — for a lock
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. row — a line
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. key — the most important part
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — all right
  19. face — to confront
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. face — to point toward
  24. march — the month

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