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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — to fit
  3. field — farmland
  4. stem — to come from
  5. suit — clothes
  6. drill — army training
  7. march — music
  8. mug — a face
  9. field — a subject
  10. file — a tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mug — to rob
  14. staff — employees
  15. mug — a cup
  16. staff — a stick
  17. file — a document
  18. march — the month
  19. drill — a practice
  20. field — for sport
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. suit — in cards
  24. drill — the tool

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