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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. march — music
  6. track — a song
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — a partner
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. track — a path
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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