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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spring — of water
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a document
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — a coil
  10. shower — to wash
  11. key — in music
  12. spring — the season
  13. march — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. key — for a lock
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — in a race
  18. perch — the fish
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pit — a hole
  21. file — a tool
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. file — a line of people

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