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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. season — of the year
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. chest — a box
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — a tin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. firm — steady
  13. rash — hasty
  14. march — music
  15. rash — a series
  16. chest — of your body
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — to be able to
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. firm — a company
  22. hand — help
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rash — on the skin

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