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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. staff — employees
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — a trail
  16. craft — boats
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — to protest

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