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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. march — the month
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. row — to paddle
  8. band — a music group
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — to fit
  12. row — a line
  13. march — the month
  14. band — a ring
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. squash — the sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. suit — clothes
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. arm — part of the body

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