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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: pop · tear · scale · season · key · march · rest · sharp

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. season — of the year
  5. key — for a lock
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. march — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. scale — size or range
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — clever
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — soda
  17. scale — in music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. tear — to rip
  20. key — the most important part
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — music
  24. rest — a break

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