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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fork — in a road
  5. march — the month
  6. sharp — clever
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. last — to go on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. march — music
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. last — finally
  14. content — the amount
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. last — final
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. content — happy

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