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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bore — to drill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — music
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. track — a path
  13. bore — to tire
  14. swing — in golf
  15. track — a song
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — to play on
  18. march — the month
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. swing — music
  24. hide — animal skin

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