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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. suit — clothes
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. scale — size or range
  5. suit — in cards
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cell — a phone
  8. field — farmland
  9. suit — to fit
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. field — for sport
  12. march — music
  13. capital — money
  14. field — a subject
  15. board — a committee
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. capital — a city
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — to get on
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. scale — for weighing

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