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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bass — low music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. clip — a video
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. scale — in music
  16. object — a thing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. march — the month
  19. bass — the fish
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. object — to protest
  24. can — a tin

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