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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. spell — letters
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. kick — in football
  6. present — a gift
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fine — all right
  10. present — the time now
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. present — there
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fine — high quality
  18. march — the month
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mouse — for a computer

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