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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. court — of a king
  6. track — a song
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — to recline
  12. current — happening now
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a path
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. march — the month
  19. court — for sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. march — music
  22. current — electric
  23. march — the month
  24. calf — a young animal

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