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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — government
  3. foot — a measure
  4. staff — a stick
  5. march — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. march — the month
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. key — the most important part
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rule — a law
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. staff — employees
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. key — in music
  24. season — of the year

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