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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 · mouse · band · cell · present · sharp · fine · dip

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. present — there
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fine — high quality
  6. march — the month
  7. present — a gift
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. band — a ring
  13. fine — all right
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. march — the month
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. band — a music group
  21. march — music
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. present — the time now

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