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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: march · mug · scale · court · cell · land · rock · pitcher

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. march — music
  6. land — to come down
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. march — the month
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — music
  15. land — ground
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mug — a face
  18. court — for sport
  19. land — a country
  20. scale — size or range
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — to rob
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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