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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. craft — boats
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. court — of law
  9. bore — to drill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. march — the month
  13. staff — employees
  14. court — of a king
  15. key — the most important part
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. court — for sport
  20. bore — to tire
  21. craft — a skill
  22. march — music
  23. key — in music
  24. pound — a weight

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