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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. club — a group
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — the tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. club — for golf
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. capital — a city
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for dancing
  15. face — to point toward
  16. squash — the sport
  17. face — to confront
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ball — a great time
  20. capital — money
  21. drill — army training
  22. march — music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. capital — a big letter

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