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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spell — magic
  6. track — to keep track
  7. roll — a list
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. track — a song
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. spell — letters
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — a path
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pitch — completely

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