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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — obliged
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. scale — in music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bound — tied together
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. march — 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