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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. march — music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. date — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. last — to go on
  11. craft — a skill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — wild animals
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stand — to bear
  17. last — finally
  18. march — the month
  19. game — a match
  20. craft — boats
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. last — final
  24. march — the month

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