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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: march · rock · mine · cabinet · temple · scale · fall · pound

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — size or range
  7. march — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fall — the season
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. scale — in music
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fall — to drop

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