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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ground — a position
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — the earth
  11. shower — to wash
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — rain
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — a break
  17. ground — crushed
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rest — what's left
  20. march — the month
  21. rash — a series
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. racket — for tennis

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