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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. march — music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. last — finally
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. game — a match
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — final
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. march — the month
  19. last — to go on
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. jam — in traffic

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