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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
468
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: chair · ball · roll · safe · rush · jam · march · cell

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. march — music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cell — a phone
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chair — a professorship
  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