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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 120 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: pass · land · scale · march · trunk · cold · suit · rash

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rash — a series
  3. march — the month
  4. scale — in music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pass — a permit
  8. march — the month
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rash — hasty
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. suit — clothes
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. land — a country
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. land — to come down
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. land — ground
  21. scale — size or range
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. march — music
  24. cold — not warm

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