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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. current — happening now
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. game — wild animals
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. current — of water
  11. game — a match
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. current — electric
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mine — for digging
  23. march — music
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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