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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. key — in music
  3. swing — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — music
  6. march — the month
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. current — electric
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. march — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — of water
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rock — a stone
  20. current — happening now
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. swing — in golf

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