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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.

Make a worksheet

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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. march — music
  4. stock — shares
  5. march — the month
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — goods
  9. ball — a great time
  10. game — a match
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ball — a dance
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — the month
  18. leaves — lets stay

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