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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — for sport
  3. march — music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. suit — to fit
  6. march — the month
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. suit — in cards
  13. row — a line
  14. ball — a dance
  15. roll — a list
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. roll — a cake
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — to paddle
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. roll — on a roll

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