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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. scale — in music
  4. march — the month
  5. board — to get on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. scale — size or range
  8. board — a committee
  9. pop — soda
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. march — music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — in football
  18. march — the month
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pop — to visit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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