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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
468
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: track · present · scale · racket · can · straw · march · ruler

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. racket — for tennis
  3. track — to keep track
  4. march — music
  5. track — a song
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. present — a gift
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. present — there
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. present — the time now
  13. scale — size or range
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — the month
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a path
  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