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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. game — wild animals
  4. march — the month
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — a match
  7. can — to be able to
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bass — the fish
  10. key — the most important part
  11. last — finally
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — in music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. key — for a lock
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — low music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — the month
  20. snap — to click
  21. march — music
  22. last — to go on
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. game — a kind of play

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