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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. capital — money
  7. suit — clothes
  8. degree — an amount
  9. track — a path
  10. face — part of the head
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fine — all right
  13. track — a song
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. suit — in cards
  17. march — the month
  18. suit — to fit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. march — music
  21. capital — a city
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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