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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. scale — in music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ball — a great time
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. date — the fruit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. march — the month
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. march — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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