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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — steady
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ball — a great time

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