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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. march — music
  3. last — finally
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. key — in music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. key — for a lock
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. suit — clothes
  15. last — final
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — to keep track
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. last — to go on
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. key — the most important part

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