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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — a measure
  3. current — electric
  4. march — music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. current — happening now
  10. march — the month
  11. stand — to bear
  12. current — of water
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stand — on your feet

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