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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: date · drill · spell · mouse · march · arm · deal · jam

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. march — music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. drill — a practice
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — letters
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. drill — army training
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — the 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