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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — a stick
  3. last — final
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — finally
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. last — to go on
  18. 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