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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bore — to tire
  8. branch — a division
  9. craft — boats
  10. key — in music
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — a city
  15. craft — a skill
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — to drill
  19. capital — money
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. craft — a handicraft

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