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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. march — music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. present — the time now
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bat — the animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — a cup
  18. kick — in football
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. present — there
  23. march — the month
  24. present — a gift

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