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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. file — a line of people
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. file — a document
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. key — the most important part
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — of water
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. key — in music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. file — a tool
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. pound — a weight
  24. current — happening now

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