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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 120 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 · mark · game · nail · mouse · mine · kid · club

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. game — a match
  6. club — for golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mine — for digging
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. club — a group
  22. kid — child
  23. march — music
  24. kid — to tease

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