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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. march — music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wound — an injury
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — clever
  20. march — the month
  21. key — in music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — an injury

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