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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — a skill
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spell — magic
  10. scale — size or range
  11. object — a thing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. object — to protest
  14. scale — in music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. spell — letters
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. march — music
  19. season — of the year
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. object — an aim
  23. spell — a short time
  24. craft — boats

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