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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. staff — employees
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — a position
  6. march — the month
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. march — the month
  11. band — a music group
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. band — a ring
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. date — the fruit
  18. chip — for betting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chip — to eat
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. calf — of the leg

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