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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. march — the month
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. spell — letters
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. toast — bread
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — magic
  23. rest — a break
  24. march — music

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