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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — all right
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to point toward
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. march — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — there
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fine — high quality
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. present — a gift
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. march — the month
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fine — a penalty
  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