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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kick — in football
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. march — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pass — a permit

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