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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — what's left
  7. capital — money
  8. row — to paddle
  9. march — the month
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. row — a line
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. craft — boats
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. craft — a skill
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — a break
  24. craft — a handicraft

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