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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. club — for golf
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. root — the cause
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. root — of a word
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. clip — a video
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. club — for dancing
  22. clip — to cut
  23. march — music
  24. club — a group

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