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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. club — for golf
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cap — of ice
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. club — for dancing
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. march — the month
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mark — a trace
  15. club — a group
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. net — after costs
  18. march — the month
  19. net — for catching
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mark — a grade
  24. leaves — lets stay

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