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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fork — in a road
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — a law
  11. prune — to trim
  12. march — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lean — thin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. march — the month

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