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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. object — to protest
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. dip — to sink
  10. object — an aim
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. sharp — clever
  13. object — a thing
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. game — wild animals
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. game — a match
  21. snap — to click
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bowl — a dish

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