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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a song
  3. key — for a lock
  4. track — to keep track
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. march — music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. track — a path
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ground — a position
  15. rock — music
  16. key — in music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. march — the month
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — in football

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