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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. drill — the tool
  5. club — for golf
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. club — a group
  10. march — the month
  11. kid — child
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. march — the month
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. drill — army training
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. club — for dancing
  24. kid — to tease

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