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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. last — final
  4. staff — a stick
  5. last — finally
  6. court — of law
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — of a king
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — for sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. last — to go on
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pound — for dogs

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