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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. march — music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kid — child
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. foot — a measure
  11. track — a path
  12. kid — to tease
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. march — the month
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. season — in sport
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ball — a great time
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bay — a horse colour

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