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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. key — in music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. last — to go on
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. key — for a lock
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mark — a grade
  8. object — a thing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. object — an aim
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. last — final
  13. key — the most important part
  14. club — for golf
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. club — for dancing
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. object — to protest
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. club — a group
  22. ball — a dance
  23. last — finally
  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