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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. present — the time now
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — of a word
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. board — a committee
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. march — the month
  20. pass — a permit
  21. march — the month
  22. board — to get on
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kick — in football

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