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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. court — of law
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. object — to protest
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. pitch — completely
  21. court — for sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — the fruit
  24. arm — a part of something

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