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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. track — a path
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — for betting
  11. track — to keep track
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. track — a song
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. game — a match
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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