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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — wild animals
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. march — the month
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rest — a break

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