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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: band · board · racket · scale · cabinet · march · foot · wake

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. march — the month
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. board — to get on
  18. march — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. band — a music group
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — ministers

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