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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cap — a hat
  7. march — music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — child
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mark — to pay attention

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