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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mark — a grade
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a trace
  15. drill — a practice
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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