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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. charge — electricity
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. march — the month
  6. object — to protest
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — the fish
  10. face — to confront
  11. charge — a price
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. face — to point toward
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. object — an aim
  17. perch — the fish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — a thing
  20. charge — in control
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — music
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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