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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. march — the month
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bound — tied together
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bound — certain
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. ball — a dance
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. march — the month
  24. dip — to sink

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