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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ball — a dance
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — the time now
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. drill — a practice
  9. march — the month
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. ball — a great time
  14. craft — a skill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — in cards
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — boats
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. present — there
  22. cold — not warm
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. drill — the tool

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