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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. march — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — a dish

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