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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · sharp · scale · plane · rest · row · march · wake

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. scale — size or range
  5. sharp — clever
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. scale — in music
  9. march — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wake — a trail
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. march — the month
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rest — a break
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. plane — a tool
  24. row — a line

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