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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. march — the month
  5. track — a path
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — a song
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. face — to confront
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. march — the month
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. track — to keep track

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