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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. court — of law
  3. present — there
  4. date — the fruit
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. present — the time now
  7. board — a committee
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. board — to get on
  10. march — music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. court — of a king
  14. row — a line
  15. vault — a safe
  16. march — the month
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. present — a gift
  23. march — the month
  24. court — for sport

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