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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — a break
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. key — in music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. band — a music group
  12. march — music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. field — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. band — a ring
  24. rest — what's left

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