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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — low music
  9. game — a match
  10. spell — letters
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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