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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rock — a stone
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bore — to drill
  5. key — for a lock
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bore — to tire
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rock — music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — a trace
  24. coach — a trainer

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