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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a skill
  5. object — a thing
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a great time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ball — a dance
  10. object — to protest
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. craft — boats
  16. march — music
  17. rash — a series
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rule — government
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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