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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. march — music
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. sharp — clever
  5. march — the month
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — music
  8. club — a group
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. net — after costs
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pound — a weight
  14. object — an aim
  15. face — to confront
  16. object — to protest
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. march — the month
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rock — a stone
  23. club — for golf
  24. object — a thing

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