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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. drill — army training
  5. board — to get on
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. mate — to breed
  11. march — music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. march — the month
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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