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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a trace
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a grade
  22. can — a tin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. lie — an untruth

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