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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. club — a group
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. drill — the tool
  15. march — the month
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. club — for golf
  21. mine — for digging
  22. drill — army training
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mine — belonging to me

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