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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pass — a permit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stem — to come from
  13. court — for sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. court — of law
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. scale — size or range
  19. court — of a king
  20. mug — a face
  21. march — the month
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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