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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. present — a gift
  4. foot — a measure
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — there
  7. cue — for pool
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. present — the time now
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. march — music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cue — a signal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — clever
  24. perch — the fish

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