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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. game — a match
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. file — a tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. staff — employees
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. file — a document
  14. march — the month
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. board — a committee
  19. game — wild animals
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ruler — a monarch

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