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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. game — wild animals
  3. scale — size or range
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. march — music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. spell — letters
  8. suit — clothes
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. spell — a short time
  12. march — the month
  13. game — a match
  14. suit — to fit
  15. spell — magic
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. march — the month
  22. scale — in music
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. scale — for weighing

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