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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — of a king
  3. rock — music
  4. file — a document
  5. suit — clothes
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. object — a thing
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. row — a line
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. row — to paddle
  15. plane — a tool
  16. march — the month
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. object — to protest
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. object — an aim
  21. file — a tool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. file — a line of people
  24. court — of law

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