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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. face — to point toward
  6. present — the time now
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. present — there
  11. staff — employees
  12. mate — a friend
  13. face — to confront
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. face — part of the head
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — a gift
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. foot — part of the body

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