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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mate — to breed
  4. game — a match
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. game — wild animals
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mate — a partner
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. march — music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — a football final

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