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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fork — in a road
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. march — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fine — all right
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spring — a coil
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spring — the season
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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