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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: object · pitcher · rule · scale · swing · fork · rash · march

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. swing — music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rash — a series
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rule — government
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — hasty
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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