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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. dip — to sink
  6. club — for golf
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. row — a line
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. spell — letters
  19. row — to paddle
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — a group

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