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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. season — of the year
  3. rock — music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. current — electric
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. court — for sport
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. current — of water
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rock — a stone
  14. season — in sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stand — to bear
  22. march — music
  23. current — happening now
  24. march — the month

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