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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — to tire
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chest — a box
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. present — the time now
  20. march — music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. present — there
  24. chest — of your body

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