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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. current — electric
  3. season — of the year
  4. fine — all right
  5. march — the month
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. current — happening now
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rock — music
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fine — high quality
  21. season — in sport
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. march — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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