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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. march — the month
  4. mug — a face
  5. suit — clothes
  6. track — a path
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — the most important part
  9. suit — in cards
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mug — to rob
  14. march — music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. march — the month
  18. degree — an amount
  19. track — a song
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — in music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. track — to keep track
  24. sharp — exactly

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