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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spring — of water
  4. scale — in music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. march — the month
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — ground
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cue — a hint
  13. present — there
  14. land — a country
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. spring — a coil
  19. present — the time now
  20. land — to come down
  21. march — the month
  22. present — a gift
  23. march — music
  24. board — a committee

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