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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. season — of the year
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fine — all right
  14. season — in sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ball — a dance
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chest — a box
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — the animal

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