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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. scale — size or range
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — in music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bank — of a river

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