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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — for catching
  3. march — music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. net — after costs
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kick — in football
  10. scale — in music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fall — the season
  21. net — in sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kick — with a leg

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