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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pop — music
  4. march — music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pop — to visit
  10. present — there
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pop — soda
  15. present — the time now
  16. last — final
  17. ball — a great time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. ball — a round shape

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