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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. row — a line
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. court — of a king
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. march — the month
  8. firm — decided
  9. court — of law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — for a lock
  12. march — the month
  13. court — for sport
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. key — the most important part
  17. foot — a measure
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. key — in music
  22. row — to paddle
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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