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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. squash — the sport
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spell — magic
  7. march — music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rock — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. spell — letters

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