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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. file — a line of people
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. file — a document
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. drill — the tool
  10. march — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. drill — a practice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. march — the month
  15. file — a tool
  16. cap — a lid
  17. drill — army training
  18. pop — to visit
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bound — certain
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bound — obliged

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