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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. game — a match
  23. march — the month
  24. can — to be able to

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