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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. march — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — hurry

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