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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cue — for pool
  9. row — a line
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cue — a signal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. suit — to fit
  14. march — the month
  15. cue — a hint
  16. row — to paddle
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. march — 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