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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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468
Word bank
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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spell — magic
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. band — a ring
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — letters
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. march — the month
  17. chest — of your body
  18. march — the month
  19. chest — a box
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — music
  24. spell — a short time

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