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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. key — for a lock
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. track — to keep track
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. march — music
  17. key — in music
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. march — the month
  20. track — a path
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. track — a song
  23. fine — high quality
  24. march — the month

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