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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. drill — a practice
  4. march — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. court — of law
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — of a king
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — to crush
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — the sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. court — for sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. march — the month
  24. mark — a grade

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