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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. object — an aim
  5. drill — army training
  6. march — music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. object — a thing
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. object — to protest
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pass — a permit
  18. march — the month
  19. drill — a practice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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