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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. cold — an illness
  4. fine — all right
  5. mug — a face
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a line
  10. fine — high quality
  11. row — to paddle
  12. march — music
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cold — not warm
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fan — a supporter

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