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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. march — music
  4. game — a match
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. scale — size or range
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. court — of law
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. court — for sport
  18. game — wild animals
  19. march — the month
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. scale — in music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. court — of a king
  24. fine — all right

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