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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. wake — a trail
  11. present — there
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitch — completely
  14. present — a gift
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. present — the time now
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. march — the month

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