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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ball — a dance
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — for digging
  6. spell — a short time
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. key — in music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spell — letters
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mine — an explosive

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