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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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. march — the month
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bass — low music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. staff — a stick
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bass — the fish
  24. staff — employees

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