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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · mate · march · rule · cap · arm · bay · scale

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pop — soda
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. march — the month
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mate — a partner
  17. scale — in music
  18. mate — a friend
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rule — a law
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pop — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rule — government

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