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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. file — a line of people
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bound — certain
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — tied together
  9. club — a group
  10. last — final
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — a trace
  13. file — a tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. club — for golf
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — a grade
  18. file — a document
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — in cards
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — obliged
  24. march — music

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