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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. key — the most important part
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. court — of law
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — of a king
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hide — to keep secret

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