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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. hand — help
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — in control
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — in cards
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — a price
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. march — the month
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — a measure
  24. perch — the fish

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