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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · squash · march · calf · mate · bear · racket · key

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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. calf — of the leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. march — music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. key — in music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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