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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. present — there
  6. track — a song
  7. present — the time now
  8. march — music
  9. object — a thing
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. object — to protest
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. key — the most important part
  18. object — an aim
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. present — a gift
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. march — the month
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bass — low music

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