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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. march — the month
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pitch — completely
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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