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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mug — to rob
  4. march — the month
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. mug — a cup
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — in music
  19. mug — a face
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. march — music
  24. ruler — a monarch

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