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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. march — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. march — the month
  24. root — the cause

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