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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · dip · lie · foot · scale · sharp · club

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. march — the month
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lie — to recline
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. march — the month
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. scale — in music
  15. club — for golf
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. club — a group
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lie — an untruth

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