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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wake — a trail
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. march — the month
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. march — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. land — a country
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a great time
  19. swing — music
  20. dip — to sink
  21. swing — to play on
  22. land — to come down
  23. deal — to handle
  24. land — ground

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