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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. march — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — the fish
  8. scale — size or range
  9. capital — money
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. drill — a practice
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — to handle
  16. capital — a city
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bat — the animal
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. perch — for a bird

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