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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. scale — size or range
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rest — a break
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. file — a line of people
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spell — a short time
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — a permit
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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