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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. march — music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cap — of ice
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cap — a hat
  12. suit — clothes
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. scale — in music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. date — the fruit

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