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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. season — in sport
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. march — the month
  5. mine — for digging
  6. march — the month
  7. season — of the year
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. game — a match
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bark — to shout
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. can — a tin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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