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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. scale — in music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. march — music
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. band — a music group
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. band — a ring
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — in cards
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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