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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pop — to visit
  3. firm — decided
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. firm — steady
  6. march — the month
  7. mate — a friend
  8. firm — a company
  9. march — music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pop — soda
  14. march — the month
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hand — in cards
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pop — music

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