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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 120 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
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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: scale · cell · foot · march · hide · game · last · bay

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. foot — a measure
  7. game — wild animals
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. last — finally
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. scale — in music
  14. march — music
  15. last — final
  16. march — the month
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. march — the month
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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