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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. club — a group
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. march — music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. capital — money
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. capital — a city
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kid — to tease
  20. object — to protest
  21. club — for golf
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. capital — a big letter

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