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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. clip — a video
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. march — the month
  5. land — a country
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. land — to come down
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. clip — to cut
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. suit — clothes
  17. land — ground
  18. march — music
  19. suit — to fit
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rock — music
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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