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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. march — music
  3. scale — in music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. scale — size or range
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mark — to pay attention

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