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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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. trunk — of a car
  4. present — there
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. present — a gift
  9. current — of water
  10. swing — music
  11. track — a path
  12. present — the time now
  13. swing — to play on
  14. game — a match
  15. lie — to recline
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — the month
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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