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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. last — to go on
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. march — the month
  11. root — the cause
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — a container
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — the underground
  20. march — music
  21. last — final
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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