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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. scale — size or range
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. current — happening now
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — the amount
  15. current — electric
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — for catching
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — happy
  21. snap — to click
  22. net — after costs
  23. current — of water
  24. net — in sport

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