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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. swing — in golf
  5. key — in music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. object — to protest
  8. swing — music
  9. last — finally
  10. swing — to play on
  11. object — a thing
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a great time
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — the month
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. key — the most important part

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