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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cold — not warm
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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