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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a dance
  3. present — a gift
  4. charge — in control
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rock — a stone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. march — music
  10. rock — music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bore — to drill
  17. present — the time now
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. charge — a price
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kid — child
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. march — the month
  24. present — there

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