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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fine — high quality
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cap — a hat
  13. swing — music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fine — all right
  19. board — a committee
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stand — on your feet

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