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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. key — in music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. firm — decided
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. stem — to come from
  10. roll — a cake
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. charge — in control
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. land — to come down
  16. roll — a list
  17. row — a line
  18. land — ground
  19. firm — steady
  20. land — a country
  21. march — music
  22. firm — a company
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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