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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — in music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. mark — a trace
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. march — the month
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rash — a series
  22. root — of a word
  23. march — the month
  24. mark — a grade

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