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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. scale — size or range
  3. suit — clothes
  4. scale — in music
  5. file — a document
  6. bulb — for light
  7. suit — in cards
  8. march — music
  9. file — a tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bark — to shout
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. march — the month
  22. swing — to play on
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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