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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — farmland
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. field — a subject
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. key — in music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. field — for sport
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — clever
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rest — a break
  22. key — the most important part
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. key — for a lock

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