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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — boats
  3. scale — size or range
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. land — to come down
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bulb — for light
  10. march — music
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. track — a song
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. track — to keep track
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. track — a path
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. safe — out of danger

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