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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. row — a line
  6. mug — to rob
  7. row — to paddle
  8. key — the most important part
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. drill — a practice
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. drill — army training
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mug — a face
  20. key — for a lock
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. key — in music
  24. foot — the bottom

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