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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: nail · racket · mug · scale · march · foot · straw · last

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. march — the month
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. march — music
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. scale — size or range
  14. last — final
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. last — finally
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mug — to rob
  19. last — to go on
  20. scale — in music
  21. foot — a measure
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. march — the month
  24. mug — a face

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