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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. present — there
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. field — farmland
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. present — the time now
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. present — a gift
  24. rush — hurry

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