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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — a committee
  4. lean — thin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. board — to get on
  9. bank — of a river
  10. saw — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bank — for money
  14. march — music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — the tool

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