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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — low music
  14. last — final
  15. rock — music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — a stone
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chip — for betting
  22. march — music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. craft — boats

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