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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spell — a short time
  3. march — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. roll — a cake
  6. spell — magic
  7. scale — in music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spell — letters
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. toast — bread
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fine — high quality
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wound — an injury
  19. roll — a list
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. march — the month
  22. fine — all right
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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