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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: season · arm · pop · racket · mouse · march · nail · bear

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — in sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. season — of the year
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pop — to visit
  24. march — music

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