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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — high quality
  6. last — final
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. key — for a lock
  9. march — the month
  10. season — in sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — to sink
  16. last — finally
  17. pitch — completely
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. season — of the year
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. last — to go on
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pit — in a race

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