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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. march — the month
  3. key — the most important part
  4. last — final
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — to go on
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. last — finally
  15. key — for a lock
  16. march — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. key — in music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fork — to eat with

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