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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: scale · roll · season · march · lie · cue · drill · net

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. scale — size or range
  6. march — music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. roll — a list
  10. net — for catching
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — in sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cue — a signal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. march — the month
  21. net — after costs
  22. roll — a cake
  23. drill — army training
  24. cue — a hint

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