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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — a thing
  3. cap — a hat
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. tube — a container
  9. mate — a partner
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. tube — the underground
  12. sharp — clever
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — in a race
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. object — to protest
  20. cap — of ice
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a lid
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. object — an aim

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