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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pop — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — the most important part
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. march — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. band — a music group
  13. key — in music
  14. craft — boats
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pass — a permit
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. march — the month
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — the month
  24. dip — to dunk

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