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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. march — the month
  3. cell — a phone
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — an aim
  6. squash — the sport
  7. march — music
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cell — in biology
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. present — a gift
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. object — to protest
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — in sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ball — a great time
  20. object — a thing
  21. present — there
  22. march — the month
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ball — a dance

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