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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. march — the month
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ground — a position
  15. pop — music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. root — of a word
  18. pop — soda
  19. root — the cause
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. club — for golf
  23. march — music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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