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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stock — goods
  7. suit — in cards
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bore — to drill
  10. last — finally
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — clothes
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stock — shares
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. suit — to fit
  24. scale — for weighing

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