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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. march — the month
  3. spring — the season
  4. march — music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. land — to come down
  9. march — the month
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spring — of water
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. craft — boats
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spring — a coil
  21. land — ground
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fall — the season
  24. stand — for spectators

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