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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 116 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. march — the month
  4. key — in music
  5. march — music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — for sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chip — to eat
  19. key — the most important part
  20. field — farmland
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. field — a subject
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chip — for betting

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