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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. key — the most important part
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. march — music
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lean — thin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lean — to bend
  13. key — for a lock
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mark — a trace
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bore — to drill
  24. lean — to rest against

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