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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: mug · scale · pop · suit · march · bat · racket · current

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. march — the month
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pop — music
  7. march — music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — in cards
  12. current — electric
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. current — of water
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — a face
  23. current — happening now
  24. scale — in music

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