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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. march — the month
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rest — a break
  16. march — the month
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wound — an injury
  20. suit — to fit
  21. staff — employees
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rest — what's left
  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