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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. current — of water
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. craft — a skill
  8. march — the month
  9. current — happening now
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. capital — money
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. march — music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — boats
  21. capital — a city
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. current — electric
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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