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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. march — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. mate — a friend
  9. sharp — clever
  10. key — the most important part
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — the month
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a ring
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. key — in music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. dip — to sink

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