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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mate — to breed
  3. net — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. root — of a word
  6. capital — money
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mate — a friend
  9. root — the cause
  10. capital — a city
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. march — the month
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. root — of a plant
  18. march — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mate — a partner

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