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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. march — the month
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — employees
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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