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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · racket · hide · content · rest · chair

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — the amount
  7. chair — a leader
  8. march — music
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. content — happy
  17. rest — a break
  18. march — the month

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