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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 120 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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. march — the month
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. branch — a division
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chest — a box

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