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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wind — moving air
  3. object — a thing
  4. drill — army training
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a dance
  8. march — the month
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wind — moving air
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pop — soda
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. object — to protest
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ball — a great time
  19. drill — the tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pop — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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