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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. key — in music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rash — hasty
  7. march — the month
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — a price
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. charge — in control
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wake — a trail
  18. charge — electricity
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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