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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. swing — music
  9. bass — low music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. swing — in golf
  14. march — music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. saw — the tool
  20. roll — a list
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. march — the month

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