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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. march — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. club — for golf
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. club — a group
  13. ground — crushed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. march — the month
  16. club — for dancing
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fine — high quality
  21. march — the month
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. coach — a trainer

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