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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: scale · march · mate · spell · bulb · craft · ground · wake

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mate — a partner
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spell — magic
  24. wake — a trail

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