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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — for catching
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — in sport
  5. cue — a hint
  6. swing — music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — after costs
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. swing — in golf
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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