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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pop — soda
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. object — an aim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. march — music
  13. object — to protest
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pop — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — help
  22. object — a thing
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in 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