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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. march — music
  6. scale — in music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. face — part of the head
  14. march — the month
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — the month
  19. face — to confront
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. scale — size or range
  23. snap — to click
  24. mark — a trace

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