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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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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. track — to keep track
  7. march — the month
  8. chip — to eat
  9. track — a path
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — a break
  14. march — the month
  15. chip — for betting
  16. track — a song
  17. march — music
  18. chip — in a computer

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