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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. march — the month
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pop — soda
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. march — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. key — for a lock
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tear — from crying
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mark — a grade

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