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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. band — a music group
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — a position
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — the earth
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a lid
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. band — a ring
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ground — crushed
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of a car

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