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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: mate · cue · jam · key · sharp · temple · march · wind

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mate — a friend
  6. march — music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mate — to breed
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wind — moving air
  11. key — the most important part
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — for a lock
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. march — the month
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wind — moving air

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