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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. hand — help
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hand — in cards
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. march — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — in a road
  24. safe — out of danger

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