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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. march — the month
  4. roll — a cake
  5. court — of law
  6. spell — a short time
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. charge — electricity
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — in control
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ball — a dance
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a great time
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. court — of a king
  19. spell — magic
  20. charge — a price
  21. roll — a list
  22. court — for sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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