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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tube — a container
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rock — a stone
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. march — music
  24. scale — size or range

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