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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — a series
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bass — low music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a great time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. march — music
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bass — the fish

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