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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wind — moving air
  12. club — for golf
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. scale — size or range
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. march — the month
  21. scale — in music
  22. march — the month
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. ruler — for measuring

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