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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rock — music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rock — a stone
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bound — certain
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bound — obliged

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