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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: nail · ball · staff · scale · bear · present · wound · march

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — there
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — a gift
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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