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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. charge — electricity
  6. root — of a word
  7. suit — clothes
  8. shower — to wash
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fine — high quality
  11. charge — a price
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fine — all right
  15. spring — a coil
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. row — a line
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — of water
  21. suit — to fit
  22. shower — rain
  23. charge — in control
  24. spring — the season

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