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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a line of people
  4. key — the most important part
  5. file — a document
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. file — a tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. march — music
  14. snap — to click
  15. cue — a hint
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cue — for pool
  18. key — in music
  19. march — the month
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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