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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. hand — help
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — size or range
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. scale — in music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. march — the month
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. sharp — clever
  20. can — a tin
  21. hand — in cards
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. march — music

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