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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. march — music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — for a lock
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pass — a permit
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. degree — from a university
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — in music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — the most important part
  24. march — the month

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