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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. march — the month
  5. object — an aim
  6. march — music
  7. rest — a break
  8. object — to protest
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kid — to tease
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. scale — in music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. object — a thing
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — size or range

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