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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 · wind · saw · spring · firm · track · can · march

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — a company
  7. scale — in music
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. firm — steady
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. can — to be able to
  17. firm — decided
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — of water
  24. march — 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