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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. object — to protest
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. object — an aim
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — a skill
  14. toast — bread
  15. date — the fruit
  16. march — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. suit — clothes
  23. craft — boats
  24. object — a thing

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