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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. march — music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. staff — a stick
  5. club — for dancing
  6. staff — employees
  7. march — the month
  8. capital — a city
  9. club — for golf
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — to grow
  16. march — the month
  17. key — in music
  18. club — a group
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. capital — money
  23. pit — in a race
  24. key — for a lock

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