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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chair — a leader
  10. suit — clothes
  11. spell — magic
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. board — to get on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. march — the month
  22. stand — to bear
  23. board — a committee
  24. suit — to fit

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