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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: mate · game · ball · march · hide · lash · fan · chip

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — a match
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ball — a dance
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — for betting
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chip — to eat

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