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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. roll — a list
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spell — magic
  10. court — for sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. march — the month
  14. court — of a king
  15. march — music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. court — of law
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — letters
  21. chip — to eat
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chip — for betting

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