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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. march — the month
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. drill — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. march — the month
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. march — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. bass — low music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. drill — army training
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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