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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. last — final
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. board — to get on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. game — a match
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. board — a committee
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. last — to go on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — finally
  24. pit — a hole

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