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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — in cards
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ground — the earth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — a position
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — clothes
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — the sport
  19. suit — to fit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hand — help

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