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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. court — of law
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. court — for sport
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — the month
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — the tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. staff — employees
  18. march — the month
  19. dip — to sink
  20. staff — employees
  21. wound — an injury
  22. march — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. court — of a king

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