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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mug — a cup
  4. march — the month
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — music
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. band — a ring
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mug — a face
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. band — a music group
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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