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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. present — a gift
  3. snap — to click
  4. present — there
  5. kick — in football
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — a weight
  10. present — the time now
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mate — a friend
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a great time
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mate — a partner

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