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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. march — music
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stand — to bear
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — the month
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rule — a law
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. calf — of the leg

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