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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. capital — money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. staff — employees
  16. capital — a city
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. march — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. rush — hurry
  23. march — the month
  24. rush — a thrill

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