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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. net — in sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pop — music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hand — help
  15. march — the month
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — for catching
  18. pop — to visit
  19. march — music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. net — after costs
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pop — soda

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