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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 120 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
468
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: tear · march · key · mark · hand · spell · racket · firm

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. hand — help
  3. march — music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. march — the month
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. march — the month
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. firm — steady
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spell — letters
  14. firm — a company
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hand — in cards
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. key — in music
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spell — a short time
  22. firm — decided
  23. key — for a lock
  24. racket — for tennis

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