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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — a permit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — the time now
  6. cold — an illness
  7. march — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. march — the month
  10. spell — letters
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. club — for dancing
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. club — a group
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cold — not warm
  18. spell — magic
  19. present — a gift
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — a short time
  23. present — there
  24. march — the month

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