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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. object — to protest
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fall — to drop
  9. march — the month
  10. band — a ring
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a music group
  13. march — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. object — an aim
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. object — a thing
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fall — the season

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