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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bound — certain
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wake — a trail
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — the month
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — hasty
  19. march — the month
  20. season — in sport
  21. rash — a series
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. season — of the year

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