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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. march — the month
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. march — the month
  22. rash — a series
  23. march — music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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