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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. present — the time now
  5. field — a subject
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a list
  9. present — there
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. march — the month
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. scale — in music
  16. present — a gift
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. march — music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. march — the month

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