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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. degree — temperature
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — the month
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ball — a great time
  14. degree — from a university
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. rock — a stone
  22. can — a tin
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chair — to sit on

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