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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. suit — to fit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. spring — of water
  24. scale — for weighing

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