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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: leaves · rock · ruler · mug · scale · track · sharp · march

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. rock — a stone
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — the month
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. march — music
  24. sharp — exactly

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