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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: ball · nail · calf · march · cell · bound · mark · bank

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bank — for money
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. march — music
  10. cell — a phone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. calf — a young animal

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