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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. game — wild animals
  3. march — music
  4. object — a thing
  5. present — there
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — the time now
  15. mark — a grade
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rush — hurry
  20. game — a match
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — to protest

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