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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 124 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. march — music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. land — to come down
  4. staff — employees
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. land — a country
  14. tear — to rip
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. land — ground
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  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