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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · mouse · present · net · saw · mug · march · ball

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mug — a face
  4. present — a gift
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. present — the time now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. net — in sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. net — after costs
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. net — for catching
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — there
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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