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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. key — the most important part
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. march — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. key — in music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. march — the month
  12. key — for a lock
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. current — electric
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. march — the month
  22. current — happening now
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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