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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — employees
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — steady
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. march — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. content — the amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — a company
  12. staff — a stick
  13. board — to get on
  14. wake — a trail
  15. staff — employees
  16. content — happy
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — decided
  19. rest — a break
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. board — a committee
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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