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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. net — for catching
  4. march — music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — after costs
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. drill — a practice
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — army training
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — the month

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