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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 124 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 ball is in your ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. court — for sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. march — the month
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fine — all right
  9. march — music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. court — of a king
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pop — music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. court — of law
  20. pop — soda
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fine — high quality
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — to drill

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