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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: march · sharp · pound · mate · roll · spell · fine · calf

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. march — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. roll — a list
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fine — all right
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. spell — a short time
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. march — the month
  15. mate — a partner
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — high quality
  18. roll — a cake
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. pound — a weight
  23. spell — magic
  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