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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. root — of a word
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — a video
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ball — a dance
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — the cause
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ball — a great time
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. can — a tin
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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