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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ground — a position
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — the earth
  19. march — the month
  20. ground — crushed
  21. squash — the sport
  22. staff — a stick
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — a dish

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