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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. file — a line of people
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — size or range
  6. degree — from a university
  7. file — a document
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — temperature
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bore — to drill
  13. scale — in music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. file — a tool
  20. degree — an amount
  21. prune — to trim
  22. march — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bore — to tire

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