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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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Word bank
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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — for pool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pit — a hole
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — in music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. march — the month
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cue — a hint
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cell — in biology
  22. key — the most important part
  23. march — music
  24. key — in music

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