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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — help
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. march — the month
  8. bass — the fish
  9. row — to paddle
  10. key — in music
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — low music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. key — for a lock
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. march — music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — in cards
  24. row — a line

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