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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. roll — a list
  3. scale — size or range
  4. band — a ring
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. band — a music group
  10. roll — a cake
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — in music
  13. season — of the year
  14. march — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. season — in sport
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. march — the month
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a skill

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