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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: date · ground · suit · march · tear · scale · cue · cabinet

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. ground — a position
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. scale — in music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cue — a hint
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ground — crushed
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cue — a signal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. scale — size or range
  22. march — the month
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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