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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. 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. scale — size or range
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. march — the month
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. band — a music group
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a ring
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. 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