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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — in football
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. march — music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. march — the month
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. current — of water
  17. swing — music
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. mouse — the animal

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