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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a great time
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. present — there
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rock — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. march — the month
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rock — a stone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a dance
  17. present — the time now
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — a gift
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ball — a round shape

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