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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. march — the month
  5. fork — in a road
  6. march — music
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spell — magic
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — the month
  21. spell — letters
  22. hand — help
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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