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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spell — a short time
  5. march — the month
  6. drill — army training
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. craft — a skill
  10. season — of the year
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. craft — boats
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mark — a grade
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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