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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fall — to drop
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ground — a position
  12. fall — the season
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ground — the earth
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. craft — boats
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fall — to drop
  23. degree — an amount
  24. net — in sport

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