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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. club — for golf
  4. march — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hand — help
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bear — the animal
  24. club — a group

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