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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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. board — a committee
  4. band — a ring
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. club — for dancing
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. firm — decided
  9. board — to get on
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. sharp — clever
  17. club — for golf
  18. march — music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. band — a music group
  21. club — a group
  22. season — of the year
  23. firm — steady
  24. board — a flat piece

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