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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — to come from
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — electricity
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — a price
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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