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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. capital — money
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of law
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chair — a leader
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. firm — decided
  13. capital — a city
  14. court — of a king
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. march — music
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. mark — a grade
  24. court — for sport

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