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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bass — low music
  4. march — music
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — the fish
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — to crush
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. current — electric
  20. shower — rain
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. current — of water
  24. squash — the sport

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