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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — music
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chair — a leader
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rule — a law
  16. content — happy
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rule — government
  20. content — the amount
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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