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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fine — high quality
  7. drill — a practice
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fine — all right
  11. game — wild animals
  12. march — music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bound — certain
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — the tool
  18. game — a match

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