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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — completely
  3. object — a thing
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. march — the month
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cap — a hat
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. cap — a lid
  19. march — music
  20. content — the amount
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cap — of ice
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of a car

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