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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — a thing
  3. ground — a position
  4. march — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ground — the earth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ground — crushed
  13. press — a publisher
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. object — to protest
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. press — to push
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — an aim
  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