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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — a subject
  6. rest — a break
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fine — all right
  12. march — music
  13. land — ground
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — a skill
  16. land — to come down
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — a series
  19. charge — a price
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — farmland
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — for sport
  24. land — a country

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