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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. track — a song
  6. root — of a plant
  7. charge — in control
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a word
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. track — to keep track
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — a city
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. track — a path
  22. capital — money
  23. charge — a price
  24. cold — not warm

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