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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. season — in sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. field — for sport
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bulb — for light
  8. file — a line of people
  9. staff — employees
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. field — farmland
  12. file — a tool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. field — a subject
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. march — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. file — a document
  19. toast — bread
  20. march — the month
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — a weight

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