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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. march — music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spring — of water
  6. staff — employees
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — employees
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. march — the month
  11. spring — the season
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — in music
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. march — the month
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spring — a coil
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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