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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — employees
  3. march — the month
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. staff — employees
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — a price
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitch — completely
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pound — a weight
  18. spring — the season
  19. march — music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bat — for baseball

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