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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. march — the month
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. court — for sport
  11. march — the month
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. track — a path
  18. hand — help
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. track — a song
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. court — of law

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