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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — to trim
  3. key — the most important part
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. key — in music
  7. row — a line
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. row — to paddle
  14. march — the month
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. march — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — a part of something

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