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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bass — low music
  7. march — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. key — in music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — the most important part
  12. craft — a skill
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. craft — boats
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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