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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a dance
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fall — to drop
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a great time
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. march — music
  18. fall — the season
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kid — child
  22. key — in music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. coach — a trainer

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