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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. march — the month
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. craft — boats
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pit — in a race
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pit — a hole
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — a skill
  21. march — music
  22. roll — a list
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chair — to sit on

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