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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. content — happy
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. season — in sport
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. firm — a company
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. season — of the year
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. court — of a king
  16. content — the amount
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. firm — steady
  19. court — for sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. court — of law
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — a trail
  24. firm — decided

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