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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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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pop — soda
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pop — to visit
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. key — in music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. tube — a container
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. march — music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. key — for a lock
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. drill — army training
  24. tube — the underground

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