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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pass — a permit
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. march — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. court — of a king
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. craft — a skill
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. craft — boats

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