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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. march — music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. firm — a company
  7. snap — to click
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. club — a group
  13. march — the month
  14. mark — a grade
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. scale — size or range
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. scale — in music

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