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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: sharp · key · swing · rock · track · bowl · march · mark

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rock — music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. track — a song
  13. mark — a grade
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — to play on
  17. march — music
  18. swing — music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rock — a stone
  22. march — the month
  23. key — in music
  24. swing — in golf

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