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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. key — in music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — music
  10. rock — music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pop — to visit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ground — the earth
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pop — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. hand — help
  22. clip — a video
  23. ground — a position
  24. pop — soda

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