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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.

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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: key · mate · ball · rush · clip · suit · file · march

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mate — to breed
  3. key — in music
  4. clip — to cut
  5. file — a document
  6. march — the month
  7. key — the most important part
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. clip — a video
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. clip — for paper
  13. file — a tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — music
  16. mate — a partner
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ball — a great time
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rush — hurry
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ball — a dance
  24. march — the month

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