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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. band — a ring
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ball — a great time
  19. march — the month
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. degree — from a university
  23. band — a music group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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