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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fork — in a road
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. march — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. court — of a king
  13. file — a tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of law
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. file — a document
  21. march — the month
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. court — for sport

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