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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — help
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. swing — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rush — hurry
  23. swing — to play on
  24. march — the month

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