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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · row · march · wave · craft · current · scale · kick

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. present — the time now
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — there
  8. row — a line
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. current — electric
  11. present — a gift
  12. craft — a skill
  13. kick — in football
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. current — of water
  21. craft — boats
  22. current — happening now
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. scale — size or range

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