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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — a cup
  5. last — finally
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — for digging
  14. last — final
  15. ball — a great time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a dance
  18. row — to paddle
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. row — a line
  23. march — the month
  24. last — to go on

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