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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. scale — in music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. net — after costs
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — music
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. net — in sport
  22. fork — in a road
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. temple — a place of worship

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