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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. key — in music
  4. march — music
  5. file — a line of people
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a tool
  10. march — the month
  11. file — a document
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tube — a container
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tube — the underground
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mark — to pay attention

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