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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — a country
  8. season — of the year
  9. rock — music
  10. craft — boats
  11. land — ground
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — in music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. land — to come down
  17. scale — in music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. season — in sport
  24. pop — soda

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