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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · rock · key · jam · fan · rest · march · clip

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. march — the month
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fine — high quality
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rock — a stone
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. clip — to cut
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. march — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — music
  21. clip — a video
  22. fine — all right
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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