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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. season — in sport
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — magic
  16. season — of the year
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — letters
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — a container
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rock — music

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