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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: suit · sharp · key · pound · land · roll · march · lean

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. key — for a lock
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. land — to come down
  13. lean — thin
  14. land — ground
  15. march — music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. sharp — clever
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — in cards
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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