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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mate — a friend
  5. court — of law
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bank — for money
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cold — not warm
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — all right
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fine — high quality
  14. court — for sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. court — of a king
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cold — an illness
  21. march — music
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pitch — completely
  24. squash — the vegetable

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