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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bass — low music
  10. march — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — the season
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rock — a stone
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rock — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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