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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — tied together
  11. court — for sport
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bound — certain
  24. mouse — the animal

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