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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. scale — size or range
  8. craft — boats
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — in music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — music
  17. march — the month
  18. board — to get on
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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