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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pop — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mug — a face
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. field — farmland
  10. mark — a trace
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. field — for sport
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. field — a subject
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mug — a cup
  24. march — music

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