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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. land — to come down
  3. court — of a king
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. land — a country
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — of a word
  10. land — ground
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. club — for golf
  17. face — to point toward
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. march — the month
  20. court — for sport
  21. club — a group
  22. root — the cause
  23. march — music
  24. court — of law

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