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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spring — the season
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. march — the month
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a hat
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spring — of water
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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