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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. root — of a word
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chair — a leader
  8. march — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. root — of a plant
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — a skill
  16. toast — bread
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — a container
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. craft — boats
  23. rest — a break
  24. chair — a professorship

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