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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wound — an injury
  3. object — a thing
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — music
  6. scale — in music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mate — a friend
  9. march — the month
  10. clip — to cut
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. object — to protest
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mate — to breed
  15. clip — a video
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mate — a partner
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wound — an injury

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