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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — a partner
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — to come down
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — music
  10. land — ground
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a great time
  18. craft — boats
  19. mate — to breed
  20. march — the month
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. craft — a skill

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