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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. march — the month
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — obliged
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. march — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bound — certain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ruler — a monarch

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