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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mate — to breed
  5. field — farmland
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bound — certain
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — to be able to
  12. current — happening now
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — for sport
  15. march — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — tied together
  19. current — electric
  20. pound — a weight
  21. march — the month
  22. current — of water
  23. bound — obliged
  24. field — a subject

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