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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. spell — letters
  3. swing — in golf
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. object — a thing
  7. spell — a short time
  8. object — to protest
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. swing — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — the month
  21. swing — to play on
  22. object — an aim
  23. spell — magic
  24. foot — the bottom

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