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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 · scale · mug · game · suit · cabinet · deal · lie

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a match
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — to recline
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. suit — clothes
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. scale — in music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. march — the month
  23. mug — a face
  24. game — wild animals

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