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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: rock · arm · fan · mouse · degree · present · ball · march

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ball — a great time
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rock — a stone
  6. march — the month
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. march — the month
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — there
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. march — music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rock — music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — temperature
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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