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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: rock · scale · file · bear · court · staff · mark · march

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. staff — employees
  5. file — a document
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bear — the animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. court — of a king
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rock — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. march — music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. court — for sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mark — a trace
  23. court — of law
  24. staff — a stick

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