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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. present — there
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. ball — a dance
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. present — the time now
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. present — a gift
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. clip — to cut
  19. ball — a great time
  20. clip — a video
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — the underground

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