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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. object — to protest
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — a thing
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — employees
  13. object — an aim
  14. deal — to handle
  15. march — the month
  16. swing — music
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fork — in a road
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. march — music

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