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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a music group
  8. march — the month
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. tube — the underground
  16. band — a ring
  17. scale — size or range
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. season — of the year
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. band — a rubber band

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