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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mate — a friend
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. march — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — government
  12. can — to be able to
  13. staff — employees
  14. toast — bread
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rule — a law
  17. mate — to breed
  18. track — a song
  19. staff — employees
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. track — a path
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rule — to rule out
  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