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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · calf · game · mate · cell · sharp · firm · leaves

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cell — a phone
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. game — wild animals
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. game — a match
  23. mate — a partner
  24. sharp — clever

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