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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. dip — to sink
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. key — in music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. suit — clothes
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — the cause
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. root — of a plant
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hand — in cards
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spring — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. root — of a word
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. hand — help

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