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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. land — to come down
  7. club — for golf
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. land — a country
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. march — the month
  21. land — ground
  22. kick — in football
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — of a tree

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