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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bear — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — a group
  19. pop — soda
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bear — the animal
  22. club — for golf
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pop — music

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