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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. field — farmland
  4. march — the month
  5. field — a subject
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. march — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. march — the month
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mug — a face
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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