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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. march — music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. march — the month
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mine — for digging
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. court — of a king
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. prune — to trim

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