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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bass — low music
  3. march — the month
  4. key — in music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. last — finally
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. march — music
  13. stem — to come from
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. firm — a company
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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