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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. march — music
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. firm — steady
  6. wind — moving air
  7. court — for sport
  8. firm — decided
  9. hand — help
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. kid — to tease
  13. firm — a company
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. court — of law
  16. kid — child
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. court — of a king
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hand — in cards
  24. march — the month

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