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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 116 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spring — a coil
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — all right
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. charge — a price
  12. field — for sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — high quality
  16. field — a subject
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chair — a leader
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. field — farmland
  23. spring — of water
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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