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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. land — ground
  3. suit — to fit
  4. scale — in music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — size or range
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mate — a friend
  12. object — to protest
  13. march — the month
  14. object — a thing
  15. suit — clothes
  16. march — the month
  17. land — to come down
  18. mate — to breed
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. suit — in cards
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. land — a country
  24. object — an aim

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