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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — help
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — low music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pop — soda
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. hand — in cards
  19. craft — boats
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bass — the instrument

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