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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.

Make a worksheet

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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mug — to rob
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mug — a cup
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. game — a match
  15. wind — moving air
  16. can — to be able to
  17. march — the month
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a face
  20. court — of a king
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — a kind of play

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