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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. march — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. march — the month
  10. ball — a great time
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fall — the season
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. key — in music

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