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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. row — a line
  4. spell — a short time
  5. march — the month
  6. key — the most important part
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. march — the month
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — letters
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spell — magic
  18. suit — to fit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. march — music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. key — in music
  24. suit — clothes

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