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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 120 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ball — a dance
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fine — all right
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. ball — a great time
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cold — an illness
  15. march — the month
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mug — a face
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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