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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. suit — to fit
  13. board — to get on
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the fish
  16. game — wild animals
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. game — a match
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. board — a committee
  24. suit — clothes

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