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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — a practice
  3. march — the month
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rash — a series
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — in football
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — army training
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rash — hasty
  21. suit — to fit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. drill — the tool
  24. suit — in cards

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