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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fine — all right
  5. key — in music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. march — the month
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fine — high quality
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. prune — to trim
  22. march — music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. racket — for tennis

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