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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. march — the month
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. march — the month
  6. key — the most important part
  7. march — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — in music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cell — a phone

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