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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pop — soda
  4. band — a ring
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — a break
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. band — a music group

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