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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. squash — the sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. suit — to fit
  22. degree — an amount
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bowl — a football final

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