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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a song
  3. march — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — of a river
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. club — a group
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. season — of the year
  15. club — for golf
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. season — in sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. march — the month

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