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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. spell — letters
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spell — a short time
  13. charge — a price
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spell — magic
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. charge — in control
  24. march — the month

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