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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a grade
  6. key — in music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pass — a permit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. scale — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. scale — size or range
  14. shower — to wash
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. shower — rain
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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