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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · key · mine · row · mug · pitcher · deal · plane

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. plane — a tool
  5. march — the month
  6. key — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. key — for a lock
  11. march — music
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. row — to paddle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. row — a line
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mine — for digging

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