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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. firm — a company
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. firm — steady
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — a series
  10. tube — the underground
  11. can — to be able to
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. tube — a container
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. march — music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. firm — decided
  24. wind — moving air

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