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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. land — a country
  7. bore — to tire
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. land — ground
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. march — the month
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. land — to come down
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. toast — bread
  24. march — music

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