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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. present — the time now
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. march — the month
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. march — the month
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. present — there
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mate — a friend
  19. present — a gift
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pound — a weight

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