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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. capital — a city
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lean — to bend
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — money
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. march — music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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