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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.

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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: mug · cell · club · spring · mark · march · scale · rest

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. march — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mug — a cup
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mug — to rob
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rest — a break
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. march — the month
  16. spring — of water
  17. scale — in music
  18. spring — the season
  19. mug — a face
  20. spring — a coil
  21. scale — size or range
  22. march — the month
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rest — what's left

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