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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. deal — to handle
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rash — a series
  16. ground — a position
  17. mark — a trace
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rock — music

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