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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chip — for betting
  3. craft — a skill
  4. march — the month
  5. present — a gift
  6. swing — music
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pit — in a race
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. craft — boats
  12. swing — to play on
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. swing — in golf
  15. march — the month
  16. present — the time now
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chip — to eat
  21. march — music
  22. band — a ring
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. present — there

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