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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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stock — goods
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fine — high quality
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stock — shares
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fine — all right
  24. mine — an explosive

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