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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. foot — a measure
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — a line
  13. march — the month
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. march — music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. current — of water
  23. mark — a grade
  24. racket — for tennis

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