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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: mouse · march · present · track · mate · scale · lash · chest

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — a friend
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. present — there
  6. mate — a partner
  7. scale — in music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. present — the time now
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — a box
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chest — of your body
  17. track — a song
  18. present — a gift
  19. chest — of your body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. scale — size or range
  22. track — a path
  23. mate — to breed
  24. march — the month

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