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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bank — for money
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. key — the most important part
  15. scale — size or range
  16. key — in music
  17. scale — in music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mug — a face
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mug — a cup

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