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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — to come from
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — high quality
  5. march — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. scale — in music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — in control
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. march — the month
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fine — all right

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