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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. march — music
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — to handle
  11. club — for golf
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — a group
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. key — in music

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