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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bound — certain
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a trace
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bound — tied together
  16. march — music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. march — the month
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stand — on your feet

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