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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. march — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. spell — letters
  5. charge — electricity
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spell — magic
  9. charge — in control
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — a price
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. key — the most important part
  18. net — in sport
  19. march — the month
  20. key — in music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. hide — to keep secret

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