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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bass — the fish
  3. season — in sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tube — the underground
  8. march — the month
  9. scale — in music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. face — to point toward
  13. season — of the year
  14. bass — low music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. face — to confront
  24. march — the month

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