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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — goods
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wake — a trail
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pop — music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. leaves — lets stay

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