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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pitch — completely
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a path
  9. march — music
  10. track — a song
  11. craft — a skill
  12. scale — in music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. scale — size or range
  15. track — to keep track
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — on the skin

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