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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. march — music
  11. season — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. present — the time now
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. season — of the year
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — the month

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