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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — to protest
  8. field — a subject
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. staff — employees
  13. object — an aim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. staff — a stick
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — of water
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — a trace
  24. object — a thing

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