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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. march — music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mate — to breed
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bass — low music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kick — in football
  19. bass — the fish
  20. court — for sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a partner

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