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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — the tool
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pop — to visit
  10. drill — army training
  11. pop — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pop — soda
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. drill — a practice
  19. key — in music
  20. march — the month
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. leaves — lets stay

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