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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. land — to come down
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — to rob
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spell — magic
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — boats
  13. key — in music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mug — a face
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — a short time
  18. game — a match
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. land — a country
  21. march — music
  22. game — wild animals
  23. key — the most important part
  24. land — ground

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